One solution to conflicts between club athletic programs and interscholastic competition was suggested this week on the Sports Illustrated on-line site -- high schools should just quit fielding athletic teams.

RALEIGH -- North Carolina may or may not be the home of bluegrass. But for at least three years, it will be home of the World of Bluegrass.

As expected, the International Bluegrass Music Association announced on Wednesday that it will bring its weeklong convention and awards show to Raleigh for a three-year run starting in 2013. Russell Johnson and the Grass Cats opened and closed Wednesday's announcement ceremony on downtown's City Plaza by playing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and other bluegrass classics.

But the big moment was mayor Nancy McFarlane unveiling a banner showing Raleigh's World of Bluegrass dates. Comprising a four-day business conference, an awards show and a three-day "Bluegrass Fan Fest" with more than 60 acts, next year's Raleigh edition of IBMA will be Sept. 23-29, 2013.

The 2011 convention's events in Nashville drew a reported 16,000 total visitors, more than half from out of town. Raleigh city officials project similar figures for next year's World of Bluegrass, estimating the local economic impact at more than $9.9 million.

On Wednesday, various speakers touted the event's bottom-line potential as well as North Carolina's illustrious bluegrass history. Earl Scruggs, Red Smiley, Doc Watson and George Shuffler are among the North Carolina natives who are in the IBMA's Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and Brevard's Steep Canyon Rangers shared the IBMA's artist-of-the-year award with Steve Martin last year.

Since 2005, the IBMA's World of Bluegrass has been in Nashville, where it's one of many awards shows. Seeking a higher profile, the IBMA board has been looking to relocate the show. More than a dozen cities made overtures, with Raleigh, Nashville, Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky., emerging as major contenders.

"One thing that really sold us on Raleigh was all the options here and how compact they are," said IBMA board member Jon Weisberger. "We don't have to choose whether or not to do shows indoors or outdoors, we can do both. And the convention center, amphitheater and other venues are all right here."

The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts complex will also be a venue, along with other downtown nightclubs and Fayetteville Street. New IBMA board member William Lewis likened World of Bluegrass to Hopscotch, the successful rock festival that happens every September in Raleigh.

"We think this will be like a bluegrass version of Hopscotch," said Lewis, who is also executive director of Raleigh-based PineCone (Piedmont Council of Traditional Music). "It's an event that will seize the synergy of downtown and engage audiences and venues beyond just music -- photographers, artists, galleries. It could be a signature event for downtown."

It's Day 1 of the 2012 legislative session, and already we have action on ferries, car inspections, toll roads and other transportation stuff.

* Inspections will still be required for all cars. The House-Senate Joint Transportation Oversight Committee today had no interest in discussing, evaluating or modifying a proposal to end the required safety and emissions inspections for vehicles from the three newest model years. It simply killed the bill in a 7-5 vote (see today's story with reader comments).

Meanwhile, without dissent or discussion, the oversight committee approved other legislative proposals:

* Updating top DOT job titles. This measure would retire the venerable title of state highway admnistrator, and give a new title to the person holding that job (currently, Terry Gibson): chief engineer.  DOT explains: We're way more than highways now. We're also bikes, trains, ferries, etc., etc.

DOT used to have somebody else called chief engineer as the top honcho for  something else called operations. After a department reorganization intended to reduce layers of management, the old chief engineer was moved under the wing of the old highway adminstrator.  Jon Nance, formerly chief engineer, now is addressed as ... deputy chief engineer. ... [MORE]

Allowing for the fact that Tom Friedman of the New York Times falls passionately in love with all things new and shiny, he has a column about online college education that is worth reading.

Online higher education is already here, both in colleges that are completely online and hybrids that have both physical campuses and online courses. 

My own experience suggests that online is not always a one-for-one substitute for classroom instruction, but in many cases it can be very close. Or better.

I can tick off classes where it probably would have been better taking a class online than listening to the professor's bad jokes, flights off on a tangent and uninspiring teaching of the textbook.

I had a professor in graduate school who bolted in the middle of the semester to work on a government contract in Eastern Europe. We were left in the care of his Bulgarian teaching assistant. Not much learning went on in Comparative Media Systems that semester 20 years ago.

You can find online classes at the community and four-year colleges in North Carolina, and I doubt many students and a bricks-and-mortar school will go through a degree program without taking some classes online.

But in my discussion with college officials from time to time, none of them seem to think that online education will eventually eliminate the residential university model, with its classrooms, dorms, etc.  I agree. A certain percentage of 18-year-olds will want the UNC or N.C. State or ECU experience, which is a whole lot more than what happens in the classroom. 

But I think that model has seen its high-water mark.  As online colleges become more accepted, higher quality, and ubiqitous, they have great potential to disrupt this residential model. Especially if - without the very high overhead, expensive research missions and tenured faculty - these online schools can offer an accredited diploma for a much lower price. You've seen a lot of stories in recent weeks about college graduates and the outrageous student loans they will be paying for years.

Ironically, the best positioned institutions to get big into online education are the established residential universities, because they already have the most important assets - faculties and brand names.  But they would have to utterly transform themselves. And change is very difficult in the academic village. Tenured faculties are wary of anything that they think will dilute the academics. These universities have also invested tremendously in their physical plants. We have spent billions in North Carolina alone in the past two decades, even as digital education has been on the rise.

 So I don't look for this online transformation to be led by the blue-chip schools.  They will make some noises about digital, but they have too much invested, emotionally and physically, in the old model. 

Meanwhile, the market is segmenting in a big way -- with a growing group student consumers who are fine with  college-education-as-a-digital-commodity. They don't care if their dads ever have to schlep their futon up to the third floor of  Hinton James dorm on a really, really hot August day, because paying a premium to live and learn on campus isn't worth it to them.

Here's a glimpse at what I scooped up at Harris Teeter this morning during the first day of Triple Coupons.

I purchased $55.89 worth of groceries and paid $1.32. Thirty-six cents of that was tax.

That figures out to be a 98 percent savings.

Our "Dancing with the Stars" correspondent Lenni G weighs on on last night's surprising elimination:

It's a night when, as Tom Bergeron put it, no matter who stays or goes, "It's gonna suck!"  True, very true.  Leading up to the "sucky moment," we had ...

Cheryl and William with an encore of their perfect samba from Monday night.

Alanis Morissette with her new song, "Guardian."

Carrie Underwood with her new song, "Good Girl."

Julianne Hough and Mary J. Blige with a spectacular song and dance number from their new movie, "Rock of Ages."

And then we had results.

There's still some bad blood between Republican school board members Deborah Prickett and Chris Malone over this month's school budget vote.

As noted in today's Eastern Wake News article by Paul A. Specht, Prickett took exception with the praise that Malone has gotten in Knightdale for having broken with Republicans to pass a budget request asking county commissioners for $8.8 million more.

On Thursday, Prickett emailed the people who spoke up for Malone in last week's Eastern Wake News article to say that she felt like those in Knightdale “didn’t understand the full story” and wanted to explain her vote. Among the people she copied the note to was Paul Coble, chairman of the board of commissioners.

Here's what is in today's paper in case you missed it:

I have the annual guide to the Triangle's farmers markets. (There are now more than 30.)

I have a story profiling a few bakers at the farmers markets: Annelore's German Bakery, The Cookie People and Chicken Bridge Bakery, whose loaves are show to the left. 

My column is about Margaret Gifford and Farmer Foodshare's efforts to get local food to those in need.

Linda Gassenheimer's Quick Fix column offers recipes for Mediterranean Steak and Minted Couscous.

Suzanne Havala Hobbs' On the Table column is about the obesity epidemic.

Kathleen Purvis' Cook Q&A is about freezing wine for cooking. To get an answer to a cooking question, send those queries to kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com

We share a wire story with a recipe for Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Skillet Blondies.

NCHSAA
Baseball
Third round
4A East
Richmond at New Bern; Wilmington Ashley at Scotland; WF-Rolesville/ Middle Creek winner vs. Holly Springs/ Fuquay-Varina winner; Apex at Millbrook
3A East
Pikeville Aycock at Currituck; Wilson Hunt/ South Central Pitt winner vs. West Brunswick; Southern Lee at Northeast Guilford; Eastern Alamance/ Orange winner at Cardinal Gibbons
2A East
Pittsboro Northwood at Graham; South Granville/ First Flight winner ay Providence Grove; North Brunswick at North Pitt; Whiteville vs. Fairmont/ Farmville winner
1A East
Voyager Academy/ KIPP Pride winner at Gates; Martin Riverside at Perquimans; Southwest Onslow at Dixon; Midway/ South Robeson winner vs. Red Springs/ North Duplin winner

Girls lacrosse
Championship
Green Hope (20-0) vs. Charlotte Catholic (20-1), Saturday, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, 11 a.m.

Boys lacrosse
Cardinal Gibbons (20-0) vs. Lake Norman (22-0), Friday, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, 7:30 p.m.

Girls soccer
Quarterfinals
4A East
Southern Pines Pinecrest at Wilmington Hoggard; Green Hope at East Chapel Hill/ Leesville Road winner
3A East
Washington/ Jacksonville winner vs. Jacksonville White Oak/Wilson Hunt winner; Burlington Williams/ Cardinal Gibbons winner vs. Northern Guilford/ Chapel Hill winner
2A East
First Flight/ Roanoke Rapids winner vs. Carrboro/ Reidsville winner; Swansboro/ Croatan winner vs. Whiteville/ Richlands winner
1A East
Raleigh Charter/ Manteo winner vs. Southwest Onslow/ Dixon winner; Jefferson/ Kernersville McGuinness winner vs. Central Academy/ Lake Norman Charter winner

Softball
Third round
4A East
Fayetteville Britt winner at Garner; Wilmington Ashley vs. Pembroke Swett/ West Johnston winner; Apex vs. WF-Rolesville / Middle Creek winner; Holly Springs/ Scotland winner vs. Fuquay-Varina vs. Leesville Road winner
3A East
Pikeville Aycock vs. Winterville Conley/ Washington winner; Havelock vs. South Central Pitt/ South Johnston winner; Eden Morehead/ South Brunswick winner vs. Southwest Randolph; Western Alamance vs. Western Harnett
2A East
Bertie/ Bunn winner vs. North Johnston; South Granville/ Elizabeth City Northeastern winner vs. Barlett Yancey/ Siler City Jordan-Matthews winner; Hampstead Topsail vs. Wilson Beddingfield; South Columbus/ South Lenoir winner vs. Swansboro
1A East
River Mill/ Camden winner vs. Durham Science & Math; Southside / Martin Riverside vs. South Creek; Rosewood vs. Princeton/ Perquimans; Hobbton/ Midway vs. East Columbus

Dual-team tennis
Semifinals
4-A: Broughton vs. Wakefield at Millbrook High; Winston-Salem Reynolds vs. Charlotte Kell
3A: Northern Nash at Cardinal Gibbons; Asheville at Marvin Ridge
2A: Carrboro at Hampstead Topsail; Shelby at Black Mountain Owen
1A: Raleigh Charter vs. Ayden-Grifton/ Durham Science & Math winner; Hendersonville vs. Kernersville McGuinness

NCISAA
Girls lacrosse
Charlotte Providence Day at Ravenscroft, Durham Academy at Charlotte Country Day
Boys lacrosse
Arden Christ School at Charlotte Latin; Ravenscroft at Charlotte Providence Day

Baseball
Thursday semifinals
3A at Charlotte Christian
Cary Academy vs. Charlotte Christian; High Point Wesleyan vs. High Point Christian/ Charlotte Providence Day winner
2A at Rocky Mount Academy
Caldwell Academy vs. Kinston Parrott/ First Assembly winner; Harrells Christian vs. Fayetteville Christian/ High Point Westchester winner
1A at Wilson Fleming Stadium
Faith Christian vs. Lawrence Academy; Wayne Country Day vs. Northeast Academy/ Wilson Greenfield winner

Softball
3A at Forsyth Country Day
High Point Christian vs. Southlake Christian/Charlotte Latin winner; Gaston Christian vs. Charlotte Christian; Hickory Grove vs. Charlotte Providence Day; Metrolina Christian vs. Calvary Baptist/Village Christian winner
2A at Northside Christian
Kinston Parrott vs. Harrells Christian; First Assembly vs. Northside Christian/ Fayetteville Christian winner
1A at Oakwood School
Hobgood Academy vs. Oakwood; Lawrence Academy vs. Statesville Christian/Cape Fear Christian

Soccer
3A at Durham Academy
Charlotte Latin vs. Charlotte Country Day; Charlotte Providence Day vs. Greensboro Day
2A at Greensboro Caldwell Academy
Caldwell Academy vs. Cary Christian; Cape Fear Academy vs. Davidson Day
1A at Rocky Mount Faith Christian
Statesville Christian vs. Burlington Christian; Community Christian vs. Wilson Greenfield

Tennis
3-A at High Point Wesleyan Christian
Charlotte Providence Day/ Cannon School winner vs. Cary Academy/ Arden Christ winner; Greensboro Day School vs. Covenant Day/ Charlotte Country Day winner
 

Where we stand after Tuesday's edition of the second round NCHSAA Softball Playoffs. Some teams started and finished, others started but didn't finish and a couple never got started... 


1A


Perquimans (16-6) at Princeton (14-7)

Postponed until 6 p.m. on Thursday at Princeton (The winner meets Rosewood in the second round on Friday. Princeton would host if it wins Thursday.)


2A


North Johnston 10, Eastern Randolph 0 FINAL in 5 innings

The Panthers (24-1) will host the winner between Bertie (19-2) and Bunn (11-9) in the second round on Friday.)


3A


South Central Pitt (17-8) at South Johnston (21-5)

Postponed until 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (The winner visits Havelock (21-4) in the third round on Friday.)


4A


Garner 2, Richmond County 1 FINAL in 9 innings

The Trojans host Fayetteville Britt (22-2) in the third round on Friday.)

West Johnston (18-5) at Purnell Swett (20-5)

Suspended after two innings with no score because of lightning and rain. The game resumes Wednesday at Purnell Swett at 5 p.m. (West goes to Wilmington Ashley (18-5) on Friday if it wins, while Swett would host Ashley if it won.)